Having enjoyed her involvement in JROTC, Brianna Boltz knew she wanted to serve in the U.S. Army after graduating high school. But it wasn’t until she went through the enlistment process that Boltz learned she could sign up for the infantry. Before then, the infantry had been a ground-combat branch that women were banned from joining.

Boltz jumped at the chance to help blaze a new trail.

“I felt like it was something I was definitely interested in because I’ve always been that nitty gritty, willing-to-get-dirty kind of person,” she said. “I didn’t even check what I would have qualified for with my ASVAB [Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery] score. I just immediately said, ‘I want 11 Bravo.’”

Now, after three years of service as part of the first wave of women to serve in frontline combat roles, Boltz is enjoying her hard-earned veteran benefits as a senior aquatic and marine biology major at Stetson — thanks in large part to Stetson’s Veteran Services office. The office has been a critical resource for veterans like her, as well as for military-affiliated students navigating education benefits provided by the Department of Veteran Affairs.

“Today, this office can help with any questions around your VA education benefits,” said Chris Griffin ’14, director of Veteran Services at Stetson. “If something on your bill doesn’t look right, come talk to us. We’ll look into it with you, help you understand what your benefits cover and work with the right people to get any errors corrected.”

An Army veteran himself, Griffin completed his undergraduate and graduate studies at Stetson through the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Also known as Chapter 33, the G.I. Bill helps eligible veterans cover tuition and fees, housing, books and other supplies for school following their service. After earning his master’s degree, he also worked as a program manager for Stetson’s Brown Center for Faculty Innovation and Excellence.

Griffin’s personal experience navigating VA education benefits, along with his institutional knowledge of Stetson, has made him the ideal liaison for veteran and military-connected students who may find the intricacies of accessing their VA education benefits challenging.

Stetson currently accepts the following VA education benefits:

• Montgomery G.I. Bill (Chapter 30)
• Veteran Readiness and Employment (Chapter 31)
• Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (Chapter 33)
• Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35)
• Montgomery G.I. Bill Selected Reserve (Chapter 1606)

Because admissions counselors aren’t always knowledgeable about such benefits, the expertise Griffin brings to his role is indispensable to veterans, their spouses and their dependents enrolling at Stetson.

Stetson also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program to minimize veteran students’ out-of-pocket tuition expenses. Under this program, the difference between the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill tuition allowance for private schools and Stetson’s tuition is split between the VA and Stetson, up to $15,500 per year for the undergraduate program. Starting with the 2026-2027 academic year, the program will allow veterans eligible for 100% of their Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits to attend Stetson without paying for tuition out of pocket.

Most of the time, however, Stetson provides enough merit scholarships to cancel out remaining tuition balances not covered by VA education benefits. In any given year, only three or four students participate in the Yellow Ribbon program, which has 200 slots at Stetson, said Griffin.

Aside from helping student access their VA education benefits, Stetson’s Veteran Services office partners with Volusia County Veteran Services, which has resulted in VA work study positions being available to veteran Hatters.

Griffin’s advocacy and hands-on approach to guiding veterans and military-affiliated students on campus have led to noteworthy growth — 197 enrolled students for the Fall 2026 semester compared to 80 students in Fall 2022. Also, during that time, Stetson was named a 2025 Best for Vet College by the Military Times and U.S. News & World Report ranked Stetson among its 2026 Best Colleges for Veterans in the South, while Stetson College of Law was recognized as a Top 10 Military Friendly School for the 2025-2026 academic year (thanks in part to the presence of the Veterans Law Institute on its campus).

In the words of Griffin, “When I was a student at Stetson, the small classes gave me room to ask questions, get to know my professors and grow in confidence. Now, one of the things I appreciate most about my work is getting to welcome the next generation of veterans and their families to Stetson and help them find their place here, the way I found mine.”

–Siyon Kim